Participants begin with a welcome and check-in, staff introductions, and verification of pistol licenses. A comprehensive range safety briefing is provided, tailored to the specific range and course type. Students must provide emergency contact information and adhere to strict safety protocols, including mandatory eye and ear protection. Range procedures are rigorously enforced: firearms remain holstered and unloaded except on the firing line, and all handling is supervised by instructors and Range Safety Officers. Manual safeties must be engaged between shooting strings, and dropped items are only retrieved when all firearms are holstered.

The curriculum prioritizes training and problem-solving over competitive gaming, distinguishing between bullseye and defensive shooting. The focus is on achieving combat-effective hits and preparing for real-world scenarios rather than sport shooting. Key principles guiding the course include reality, consistency, and efficiency.

Students receive a thorough review of shooting fundamentals: grip, stance, sight alignment, sight picture, trigger control, breath control, and follow-through. The course emphasizes deliberate practice, requiring a sight picture after each shot and encouraging students to reset their trigger finger between shots. Search and assess techniques are taught to maintain situational awareness after engaging targets.
The workspace technique is introduced, teaching students to perform reloads, handling, and clearing in the natural area directly in front of the body, just below eye level, to maximize awareness and control.

Key administrative skills include:● Admin reloads (deliberate, in the workspace)● Tactical reloads (performed during breaks in action to maintain readiness)● Press checks and in-battery checks● Holster placement and drawing techniques for various carry positions (appendix, IWB, OWB, 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, shoulder holster)● Thumb checks when holstering● Proper magazine positioning on the belt

Students participate in live fire drills at various distances, focusing on accuracy, groupings, and fundamentals. Exercises include slide lock reloads, tactical reloads, and drawing from the holster, with an emphasis on safety, form, and deliberate practice rather than speed. All drills are supervised, and pistols remain holstered and unloaded except during active firing.

The course covers common firearm malfunctions and stoppages, including failure to feed, extract, double feed, stove pipe, and failure to go into battery. Students learn diagnostic techniques such as the 10-degree tilt and the “tap, rack, bang” method, with discussion on how environmental factors (like crowding cover) can affect ejection.
This curriculum is ideal for those seeking to build real-world defensive shooting skills in a controlled, safety-focused environment.